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Closing Date for ‘The Miracle Worker’

By Patrick Healy March 28, 2010 6:02 pmMarch 28, 2010 6:02 pm

Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesAbigail Breslin, left, as Helen Keller and Alison Pill as Annie Sullivan in the “The Miracle Worker.”

After only 21 preview performances and 38 regular performances, the Broadway revival of William Gibson’s play “The Miracle Worker” will close at Circle in the Square Theater next Sunday, the producers David Richenthal and Dini von Mueffling said on Sunday. The show cost $2.6 million to mount and will close at a total loss to its producers and investors, a spokesman for the show said.

The story of a young Helen Keller (Abigail Breslin) learning to communicate under the guidance of her teacher, Annie Sullivan (Alison Pill), “The Miracle Worker” opened on March 3 to mixed reviews and never managed to attract much of an audience. The show’s grosses during full weeks of eight performances were uneven, ranging from $165,000 to $256,000.

Plans for the show drew attention in the theater industry last fall when Mr. Richenthal explicitly shared a viewpoint that many producers hold privately: “It’s simply naïve to think that in this day and age, you’ll be able to sell tickets to a play revival solely on the potential of the production to be a great show or on the potential for an unknown actress to give a breakthrough performance,” Mr. Richenthal told The New York Times. “I would consider it financially irresponsible to approach a major revival without making a serious effort to get a star.”

He chose Ms. Breslin, an Academy Award nominee for “Little Miss Sunshine” to play Helen, rather than a deaf or blind young actress, which some advocates for the disabled had sought. The show also starred Matthew Modine as Helen’s father, and was directed by Kate Whoriskey (“Ruined”).

In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Richenthal and Ms. von Mueffling said: “We are saddened to announce that ‘The Miracle Worker’ must close. Having the opportunity to share this powerful story with a new generation of theatergoers has been remarkable. We could not have asked for a more extraordinary cast, creative team and group of dedicated producers.”

Mr. Richenthal had secured financing this month to keep the show running through mid-April in hopes of capturing a share of the school vacation market. He then left New York to tend to health issues, leaving his decision-making authority about the show in the hands of his wife, Ms. von Mueffling.

In response to questions about why the show would not run until at least until mid-April, Ms. von Mueffling said in a statement: “David, our fellow producers and I had hoped to keep the show open until mid-April. In spite of additional advertising, ticket sales did not pick up as much as we thought they would. Closing is the only fiscally prudent choice, as difficult and sad a decision as it is. It was a collaborative decision, based on daily conversations with David and our other producers. Of course, we hope that our closing announcement will spur ticket buyers who have tarried to rush to our box office and allow us to continue to stay open more weeks!”